


Catfishing

by doverit



Category: The Walking Dead
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Zombies, Christmas Fluff, Clueless Boys, Cop Rick, M/M, Mechanic Daryl, Meet-Cute, Merle's a little shit, One-Shot, Online Dating, POV Daryl, Pre-Slash, but his heart's in the right place, confusion reigns, urban dictionary: catfish
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-20
Updated: 2015-12-20
Packaged: 2018-05-08 01:19:36
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,223
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5477945
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/doverit/pseuds/doverit
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rick takes a shot at internet dating and gets catfished by a Dixon.</p>
<p>A little holiday-fluff inspired by all amazing Rickyl stories I've been reading on AO3. Seriously, you guys have been killin' it! </p>
<p>Catfish: Urban Dictionary<br/>A catfish is someone who pretends to be someone they're not using Facebook or other social media to create false identities, particularly to pursue deceptive online romances.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Catfishing

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to [LostInWonder](http://archiveofourown.org/users/LostInWonder) for telling me this was worth posting, and especially for beta'ing my atrocious grammar during the busy holiday season. 
> 
> Happy Holidays everyone!

 

   
Daryl rolled out from under the car he was working on. He squinted at the darkened profile of his business partner, shadowed from the late day sun, shining bright behind him.  
   
"What, Glenn?" he grunted, annoyed at being interrupted.  
   
"There's a cop here to see you, " Glenn said.  
   
"Shit," Daryl mumbled, scratching at his sweaty forehead with what he hoped was a relatively clean area of his grease covered hands.   
   
"Merle?" Glenn asked knowingly.  
   
"I haven't robbed any banks lately so that'd be my guess," Daryl deadpanned tiredly. This was the last damn thing he felt like dealing with today. Christmas was in four days, which meant all his customers needed their repairs done yesterday if not sooner. Daryl has been working overtime for weeks just to try and keep up. Glenn had been putting in extra hours as well, but he had a fiancée waiting for him at home. Daryl didn't have anyone waiting on him, so more often than not, he'd shoo Glenn home early to be with his girl.  
   
Glenn's silhouette planted hands on his hips disapprovingly and shook his head.  "Daryl... " he began softly, concern for his friend lacing his tone, but Daryl cut him off.  
   
"Save your breath, Korea. Already know Merle's more trouble than he's worth," he grumbled, then sighed. "Well, send the cop in, I guess."  
   
He put his tools down on the work mat beside him and gingerly sat up on the rolling cart, his back popping from the stiffness of being in a cramped position too long. Grabbing a rag out of his back pocket, he rubbed in-between his fingers to clean off any excess grease as he looked out the open garage bay-doors. It was freakishly warm out for late December in South Georgia, but he wasn't complaining. The fresh air felt real nice while he worked.  
   
A different silhouette took Glenn's place in the spill of sunlight. "Daryl Dixon?" a masculine voice drawled questioningly.  
   
"That's me, " Daryl managed to grunt out before he froze, his eyes zeroing in on the striking figure before him.  
   
"Used your real picture, huh?" he heard the man ask, sounding somewhat irritated.  
   
"What?" Daryl answered, squinting harder in confusion before standing up and tucking the grease rag into the back pocket of his coveralls.  
   
"Said, I'm surprised you used your actual photo, but I guess that's the draw, right?" the cop asked, anger coloring his thick southern drawl as he looked Daryl up and down.  
   
Daryl took a step closer so that the sun was no longer in his eyes. He perused the man's handsome face and physique hugged by an unfamiliar tan police uniform before squinting to better see the name on the badge.  _Grimes, R_.   
   
"So, what'd my brother do now, Officer Grimes?"   
   
The cop pinned him with stormy blue eyes before answering. "I'm not here on whatever local police business you have. I'm out of jurisdiction and off duty anyway, " he explained, looking down at his police uniform before sliding his gaze back up to Daryl's. "I'm just here for my money."  
   
"What money?" Daryl asked cautiously.   
   
Officer Grimes sighed, pinching the top of his nose in exasperation. "Listen, I won't press charges. This is embarrassing enough without everyone down at the station knowing about my first and last attempt at internet dating. Just give me my money and I'm off, but I will be submitting your profile to the company for fraud. Not gonna let you catfish some other poor sap."  
   
"So this ain't about Merle?" Daryl asked suspiciously.  
   
The cop scoffed at his question and ran angry fingers through his short dark curls before muttering to himself, "I should of known better. I finally take a chance, put myself out there and of course, get played the fool."  
   
Daryl was quickly moving from confused to pissed-off. "You mind telling me what the hell your talking about?"  
   
"I'm talking about the two hundred dollars that you stole from me, " Officer Grimes said.   
   
"I ain't no thief, " Daryl growled, a flash of anger at this man's false accusation momentarily disrupting the overwhelming attraction he was feeling.   
   
"Probably wouldn't have found you, you know?" the cop continued, ignoring Daryl's protest as he casually bent over to pick up a stray wrench off the floor and walk it over to nestle it back in its proper area of Daryl's tool box. If anyone else had dared to touch his tools, they might have left with a few less fingers.  But not this man.  Daryl was too busy staring at his bow-legged swagger that drew his eyes like a magnet. And, when the cop bent over? To Daryl's shame, he might have stopped breathing for a moment watching that firm ass, and those delectable thighs moving around so efficiently in his space. It was making him think things that under the circumstances he had no right to be thinking.  
   
Shows you how hard up he was that he was fantasizing about the guy only here to accuse him of stealing. Daryl's eyes raked over him again. Jesus, he was something to look at though.  
   
"Nope, probably wouldn't of found you," Officer Grimes continued, "except in your profile photo you can see just a small part of the sign for this place in the background. Only a few letters but it was enough. One quick Google search later and here I am. You really should of been smarter about the photos you use if you're gonna be scamming guys, " Officer Grimes chided, his long fingers gliding casually over the tops of the metal tools Daryl had left out from an earlier tune-up. Watching the motion of his nimble fingers sent a delicious shudder rolling down Daryl's spine, making his blood stir despite the craziness of the situation.   
   
"What photo? I don't know what the hell you're talking about!" Daryl bristled, annoyed at the lustful feelings clouding his mind.   
   
"Your Grindr profile picture, " Rick bit out, his blue eyes managing to look angry and wounded at the same time.  
   
"What's a Grindr?" Daryl sputtered, quickly running out of patience for this nonsense.  
   
The officer narrowed his eyes at him, before looking Daryl up and down, sizing him up, trying to make some sense of this situation. "You trying to tell me, you don't know what Grindr is?" he finally asked, cocking his head slightly as he studied him. Daryl had to force himself not to squirm under that intense gaze. "Guess you're not gay either, huh?"  
   
"I don't know about any Grindr," Daryl mumbled weakly, pointedly ignoring the second question. Wasn't this guy's business anyways, what he was.  
   
The cop pulled out his cell phone, his fingers dancing along its surface until he found what he was looking for. Smiling triumphantly, he showed Daryl his phone.  
   
Daryl looked down at a photo of himself, standing next to his motorcycle in front of the garage. He remembered that day. Merle had opted to ride into work with him because he had business in town. Before he rode away, he showed Daryl his new phone and took a few quick snaps of him explaining he needed to test out the camera or some shit like that. He remembered his throaty cackle as he looked over the photos he had taken.   
   
"Damn little brother, you sure are purty. Gonna have all the boys dying to get in your panties with these, " he'd laughed, looking down at his phone. He was always busting his chops about being gay, about never getting any action, only having his right hand for company-- about everything really.  It was just Merle, and Daryl gave it back as good as he got. It's what they did, brother-stuff. He hadn't thought a thing of it at the time. In fact, he'd forgotten all about it until right now.  
   
He looked back up and locked eyes with the officer. "Why's Merle's picture of me on your phone?"  
   
"Not on my phone,  _on Grindr_. It's a dating web site, " the cop explained softly, as it finally dawned on him that Daryl might be telling the truth after all.  
   
Daryl looked up at the cop, confusion still coloring his features. "A dating web site? Who would...?"   
   
Merle  
   
Fucking  _Merle_!  
   
The cop watched a parade of emotions dance across Daryl's face before he spoke. "You really didn't know, did you?"  
   
Daryl looked down, shaking his head as his fingers curled into tense fists down by his sides. "You might need to arrest me after all because when I find that asshole, I'm gonna kill him, " he mumbled, completely mortified that his brother would do this to him.   
   
"Sounds good to me," the cop snorted, sounding in complete agreement with his murderous plans.   
   
Surprised, Daryl looked back up, his gaze locking immediately with the other man's. The officer's clear blue eyes were watching him intently as Daryl began to connect the dots. Merle put his picture on a dating web sight? This man saw his picture and what? Was interested in him? This man. This beautiful man wanted to meet... _him_? How was that even possible?   
   
After a moment spent gathering his jumbled thoughts, Daryl cleared his throat nervously, and looked back down, scuffing his work boots absently against the cement floor. "So, Officer Grimes..."  
   
"Please," the officer interrupted jokingly, making Daryl slide his gaze back to him. "Call me Rick. I think confessing your plan to murder your brother puts us on a first name basis now, don't you?" he drawled warmly.   
   
Daryl's mouth quirked up at that. "Rick then." The officer returned his tentative smile. Suddenly Daryl remembered that Merle hadn't just lied to this man. He'd  _stolen_  from him as well.  
   
Daryl cleared his throat. "How did my no-good brother manage to swindle you out of two hundred dollars?"  
   
Rick sighed, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly before looking back at Daryl. "We messaged each other a few times. I umm..suggested we meet in person but you,  _your brother_  I mean, claimed he couldn't afford the traveling expense. I offered to loan the money needed to get here. Stupid I know. There's just something about your eyes and I...I really wanted to meet you," he stammered out lamely.  
   
"Nah, not stupid. Well, yeah actually I guess a little stupid," Daryl chucked, offering Rick a small, lopsided grin. "But, it's...flattering that you did that, just cause you liked my picture?"  
   
"I did. I still do actually," Rick admitted boldly.  
   
"I'm sorry my brother lied to you, took your money," Daryl apologized.  
   
"Yeah..." Rick grumbled regretfully.  
   
" _But_  I'm not sorry you're here now," Daryl admitted nervously.  
   
"Yeah?" Rick questioned. His hopeful response firming-up Daryl's resolve.  
   
"Tell you what. Why don't I finish up early and we can grab dinner or something? Least I can do after what Merle put you through."  
   
"I'd like that," Rick said smiling.  
   
"First I need to do some stuff, close up, shower, get this grease off me. Meet back here at 7pm?"  
   
"Ok, sounds good, " Rick said full-on grinning now. He turned to go, then hesitated and turned back. "Just so we're clear, this is a date, right? Not just taking me to dinner so I don't arrest your brother?"  
   
Daryl smirked at his eagerness, feeling happiness bubble-up inside. "It's definitely a date."  
   
"Ok, because I know where to find you now."  
   
"Duly noted, Officer Grimes, " Daryl teased, his tone light and playful.   
   
Daryl watched as Rick walked back to his police car and drove away. Walking back into the garage, he grabbed his cell phone off the counter and dialed Merle.  
   
"Hey baby bro, to what do I owe the pleasure?"  
   
Daryl cut right to the chase. "Grindr ring any bells?"  
   
Merle cackled into the phone. "Well holy hell, sounds like Officer Friendly finally found you, huh? I'd just about given up hope on that one."  
   
"What the fuck, Merle?! Of all the underhanded, low-down..."  
   
"What?" he interrupted, chuckling good-naturedly. "You didn't like the looks of him? Shit, maybe you're not a fairy after all then. Guess you can throw all those fag-magazines away that I found shoved under your mattress."  
   
"God dammit, you went through my stuff?!"  
   
"Course I did. How else am I supposed to know your favorite flavor lollipop? I thought this pig Rick was just the ticket, but if you don't like him, there's plenty more fairy-fish in the sea. You've been alone too long, baby bro. S'not healthy."  
   
"Merle, you  _stole_  from the man."  
   
"No, see that's where you're wrong. That's not stealing, it's insurance. I knew you'd never agree to meet him on your own, and I couldn't be sure about him neither, especially with you acting all shy-like. Money, little bro, is always a hell of a motivator. Seems I was right again."  
   
"So, you did all this to what? Find me a date?!"  
   
"Tell that cop of yours that his money, minus a thirty dollar finder's fee, is in the back of your sock drawer. Use it for your date. You seeing him tonight I hope?"  
   
"Yeah," Daryl admitted, still dazed by the crazy turn of the day's events.  
   
"You're welcome. Now for Pete's sake, don't fuck this up before you get your dick sucked at least."  
   
"Bye Merle," he bit out, then relented and softened. "And, you know... _thanks_."  
   
"Merry Christmas, Darylina."

 

The End.


End file.
